


A Second Miracle, Please

by wildinjaelyn



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Angst, Brotherly Love, COVID-19, Other, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Siblings, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:20:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23328406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildinjaelyn/pseuds/wildinjaelyn
Summary: The COVID-19 situation becomes dire, and Kaoru (who is still a medical student) is deployed to the medical frontlines by the government. Syo is absolutely worried about him.
Relationships: Kurusu Kaoru & Kurusu Shou | Kurusu Syo
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	A Second Miracle, Please

His brother hadn't come home for days. His phone remained nervewrackingly silent after he had muted calls from his agency, ST☆RISH mates and his other longtime friends. 

The last thing his brother had left behind---a small handwritten note that was now in his hands---was, as always, delicately placed near the bowl of heated-up chicken soup. "A chicken soup a day keeps the doctor away~" the note read, "Well, not me of course!"

Kurusu Syo, now a well-established idol member of ST☆RISH and an iconic modeller for a men's fashion magazine, immediately rushed back home (upon the approval of his Shining Agency) to see his little brother. Unfortunately, it was not long before the medical student was deployed (by the government) to start prematurely serving the frontlines at a public hospital. 

_I can't believe it... It feels like the whole world is going crazy._

Even their much-anticipated Live Stage was postponed to next year. Soon after, the Triple S was hastily postponed as well. Fans were utterly disappointed, but still wished him and the other idols to stay safe and remain in good health.

The only news he had of Kaoru was a selfie (yes, a selfie) he'd taken: a blurred snapshot of his goggle-lined face. The "battle scars", as what Syo called the marks left behind by prolonged usage of medical gear, dug deep into his skin. Kaoru's eyes looked dull, and his eye bags were screaming sleep deprivation. Yet, his smile remained.

The phone's ringing jolted him out of his daze. Syo quickly took the call. "Kaoru? Are you okay?"

A moment of hesitation.

"Kaoru???" he was on the verge of tears.

"Is this a family member of Kurusu Kaoru?" a calm, professional but unfamiliar voice was on the other end.

"Y-Yes! I'm his brother. What's wrong? Is he okay?"

"Son, please stay calm, and listen closely to what I'm going to say next. Kurusu Kaoru is, regrettably, infected with COVID-19. I'm one of his colleagues. If you don't believe me, the official news report will be out tomorrow..."

Syo had completely stopped processing any sort of information. His heart threatened to leap out of its cages. Fingers clutched his chest.

"...Understand?" the voice stopped.

"...Yes." He replied weakly.

*********

_"Syo, please, absolutely, do NOT go out,"_ Kaoru had begged him, in a tone of voice that Syo hadn't heard since his Saotome days. _"You have a weak body. And we're NOT going to risk anything. I'll have everything arranged for you, okay?"_

Kaoru's words were the only thing stopping Syo from dashing past the main gate to the hospital. And, well, of course, the government-enforced lockdown too, but who fucking cares about that, right?

It had been a good three days since the local Ministry of Health had confirmed Kaoru's case. Of course, his identity remained anonymous in the official published reports. Except for that one damned tabloid paper who somehow got hold of the info. Concerned messages from his ST☆RISH mates, Quartet Night seniors and his fans consumed his screen.

 _I guess the virus isn't the only thing that's spreading fast._ He swiped all those notifs away, and continued squeezing his bolster, laying on the bed in absolute stillness.

*********

"Syo. You have been ignoring our calls," Ai's recorded voice message began playing. "I can only guess that it's caused by your brother's current situation."

Syo hadn't slept well in days. His hair was unkempt and horrendous to touch. There were prepared meals delivered to his doorstep every day, yet his appetite refused to accept them. He tried to keep himself sane by binge-watching Prince of Fighting, and occasionally reading happy stories of recovered patients. And occasionally playing Ai's message too.

"I don't know if this will make you feel better. But, statistically speaking, the COVID-19 fatality rate, among young adults aged 20 to 29, is 0.1%. This is according to the CDC.

And those only, with pre-existing health conditions, have a higher fatality rate."

Later that day, officials called again, informing Syo that Kaoru had just been admitted into the ICU.

_"Syo. Listen to me, okay? This virus is an unknown beast. I've heard many terrible stories from the frontlines. Even the young and healthy people can succumb to it. No one is safe."_

_"Kaoru. I just want you to come back home safely. As your older brother, I want you to stay safe. Got it?"_

_"If anything happens to me---"_

_"Kaoru! Don't say that---"_

_"I want you to know that you're the bestest, coolest, most courageous brother anyone could've asked for," said Kaoru, wiping his tears away. "I just wanted to say this... in case..." he choked._

_"Kaoru!!!!" Syo lunged forward and enveloped his dear little brother into a protective embrace. Merely resisting his tears took all of his might. "It's gonna be fine! You'll make it out alive! I'll kill you if you don't come back alive!!"_

_"Syo, you're an idiot," Kaoru chuckled through his tears. "You can't kill me if I'm already dead."_

_"Hey! Stop using my own words against me!" Syo pouted, ruffling his little brother's hair, like he'd always used to do._

_He struggled to smile as he watched Kaoru's back gradually disappear into the distance._

He finally understood how Kaoru felt, when his brother kept waiting anxiously for him outside his ward back in the good ol' days. His condition was almost fatal; he was almost certain he would not live past 18.

But he did. Doctors called him a 'miracle child'.

And so, the only thing he wished for right now, was for the same miracle to happen to his brother. His brother, who was the most perfectly healthy man he had ever seen in his life.

_A second miracle, please..._

**Author's Note:**

> I apologise if the ending seems too abrupt? ;; I wanted to keep it ambiguous, so we'll never know if Kaoru survives. Thanks for reading! And stay home and stay safe everyone!! Remember to send love & appreciate your healthcare workers. <3
> 
> ~Jae


End file.
